Gree(n)tings everyone!!!
I hope you and yours are doing well. I am doing great, thanks be to God! In today's edition of My Green Maryland, I'll be talking about styrofoam products, its environmental effects, and Maryland's actions towards them. Styrofoam is a closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In the United States, the word styrofoam incorrectly refers to expanded (not extruded) polystyrene foam, such as disposable coffee cups, coolers, or cushioning material in packaging, which is typically white and is made of expanded polystyrene beads. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and International Agency for Research on Cancer have determined styrene as a possible human carcinogen. The National Bureau of Standards Center for Fire Research found 57 chemical by-products released during the combustion of expanded polystyrene foam. Studies show styrofoam products don't biodegrade and cannot be recycled.
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Miss Earth Maryland 2015 Ruby B. Johnson
Photo by Prince Zamira Photography |
In previous posts, I have mentioned how my county, Montgomery County, is one of the most environmentally- and socially-responsible counties in Maryland. On January 20, 2015, the Montgomery County Council approved a ban of environmentally harmful styrofoam plates, trays, cups and carryout trays; the Council approved
the ban by an 8-0 vote. The bill bans the use of all polystyrene foam food service products and the sale of polystyrene loose fill packaging (known as packing peanuts) starting Jan. 1, 2016 in Montgomery County. It also requires the county government and its contractors to use only compostable or recyclable "single-use disposable food service ware," such as plates, bowls, cups and eating utensils.The same requirement will go in to effect for private businesses on January 1, 2017, this includes sale of styrofoam containers in grocery stores. Among the items the bill covers: foam containers, plates, cups, trays and egg cartons. Products packaged outside the county for delivery to those in the food service business will be exempt from the ban, as will materials often used to package raw meat, seafood and poultry.
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| Styrofoam Foodware Products |
The ban does not apply to Montgomery County Public Schools, but the system has already moved away from foam trays to paper ones, as of this school year. They do still have some foam cups and plates on the premises, but continue to seek cost-effective alternatives. Polystyrene foam comprises a quarter to as much as 40 percent of the floatable trash collected in the Anacostia River watershed. The tiny pieces it breaks into release toxic chemicals into the water, and absorb other chemicals--and then they are often eaten by fish and other aquatic life, polluting our food chain. Bravo, Montgomery County. I'm proud to call you my home county!
Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Earth Maryland 2015
Continuing the legacy of beauty and responsibility
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